Friendship. Compassion. Cooperation. Kindness. These are the four personality traits of good citizenship taught by Kellie Mingachos and her staff at the Goddard School in Danbury.

Mingachos recently opened the early-childhood education school in The Matrix complex at 39 Old Ridgebury Road. She has 15 years of experience in early childhood education working at KinderKare in Bethel.

"I was familiar with the program through friends who ran a Goddard School," Mingachos said. "Goddard's philosophy aligns with my own -- that children learn through play, and that you must cherish those moments of childhood as teachable moments."

Children need to be appreciated and her school's environment is geared to develop independent, competent learners, she said.

Started 25 years ago, the Goddard School program is based on principles developed by Swiss child psychologist Dr. Jean Piaget.

Tony Padulo is vice president of franchise development. "In these last years, colleges including Stanford, Berkeley and Princeton have developed studies on early-childhood learning that recommend a playful environment in the classroom. This confirms what we have been doing at Goddard -- making learning an adventure in a warm, nurturing environment," he said.

Mingachos is hands-on at Goddard. She's on site daily, along with program director Lynn Rowland and her teaching staff. Rowland has worked at Goddard Schools since 2002, beginning as a teacher at the Brookfield location and then becoming the director there. She holds degrees in psychology and education from WestConn.

Mingachos also holds a degree in psychology and certifications in elementary and childhood education.

"What makes the building unique for us is the 24/7 security and that it's in a gated complex," Mingachos said. "We have a park-like setting for our playground. And a bio-hand scanner that reads parents' palm prints to enter the classrooms."

Older children have individual computers, lessons are presented on an interactive Promethean Board, like the Smartboards used in many schools today.

Jennifer Brand enrolled her son at the school when it opened in October. She finds the staff "child focused" and the environment "warm and caring."

"I was hesitant to leave Luke anywhere," Brand said. "I went to several different day cares, then waited for Kellie to open. Kellie knows Luke as well as (his teacher) Courtney does. Every time I walk in, he's smiling, laughing and they're holding him."